The International Network of Emerging Library Innovators (India) implemented by MSSRF has strengthened its partnership with Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation (BMGF) for extending the programme to the South Asia covering 9 countries. The INELI South Asia programme shall be implemented by MSSRF having the same focus on developing the leadership and innovative skills and qualities of Public Library professionals, through online and offline curriculum, to foster innovations, disseminate knowledge services to diversified users in response to the changing needs of the community and to advocate policy changes that benefit the user community. Currently, the INELI India programme has two Cohorts with 46 librarians across 24 States in India including public librarians from 5 Union Territories.
The Global Library initiative of the BMGF began in 2002, has seven regional INELI forums acting as networks for public librarians, globally. It engages in a shared vision of transforming public libraries as the power house of services (health, education, access to real-time information, environment, government information, improving livelihoods), to connect the five billion people who are currently not having access to the internet. The vision is to allow public libraries drive community and sustainable development.
The INELI South Asia program shall bring together of passionately driven public library professionals from the countries of Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Myanmar, Nepal, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka. It will give an opportunity for the selected librarians of South Asia, into the global INELI network. It is also envisaged to develop INELI South Asia Network to carry forward the ICT based innovations in the Public Libraries to establish a governance structure to sustain and scale up the model across South Asia to ensure its benefit to the larger community. This program shall be supported by stalwarts from the field of public libraries as advisors and mentors of the entire program to propel and act as catalysts during the implementation of this program.
Call for nominations is now OPEN – http://www.ineliindia.org/ineli-south-asia-program-your-pathway-achieve-dream-and-goal